Herbicides & Pesticides

Many gardeners use herbicides and pesticides to rid their gardens of bugs and weeds. On the contrary, these chemicals that manage nuisance in the garden can be hazardous not only to the target, but also to the gardener himself, livestock, and pets; thus, the proper use of herbicides and pesticides must be employed for safety reasons in whatever type of garden.

What Are Pesticides?

A term “pesticide” includes every chemical used to control or kill pests. They’re organisms or substances that destroy, repel, mitigate, or prevent pests. These include herbicides for killing weeds, fungicides for fungi, insecticides for insects, rodenticides for small mammals, and nematocides for nematodes.

Pesticides are heavily used in gardens and agriculture, but they’re also used in households. Additionally, aside from the synthetic pesticides that pose more hazards, there are also “friendly” pesticides for home gardens –the botanical pesticides.

Botanical Pesticides

Botanical pesticides are derived or taken from plants. They have become more popular to many gardeners, as they’re less threatening to the environment and organisms. Additionally, they quickly act to stop insect feeding, and are generally low-to-moderate toxicity for “mammals”.

Advantages

Botanical pesticides are normally less toxic than “usual” synthetic pesticides. They also only affect the “target” pest and “closely related” organisms. They’re often effective in just small quantities and frequently decompose rapidly; thus resulting to preventing pollution and lower exposures.

Some Types Of Botanical Pesticides

Some botanical pesticides include nicotine sulfate, sabadilla, rotenone, neem, and pyrethrum. Nicotine sulfate is “extracted” from tobacco or other related “nicotiana” species; it is also among the oldest types of botanical pesticides being used today. Sabadilla is taken from seeds of sabadilla lily; its active ingredient is veratrine. Neem is taken from neem tree; among the compounds it supplies includes salannin and azadirachtin.

Herbicides

Perhaps among the most widely used pesticides in home gardens are herbicides. Herbicides are substances that negatively affect the development and activity of plants, and are mainly used to manage vegetation through suppressing growth or death. The active ingredients of the compound are integrated into various commercial herbicides, for use to soil or water as liquid concentrates, granules, or sprays.

Today, herbicides are used as the main method of controlling weed in gardens, as well as agriculture as they’re reliable, effective, safe, easy, and cost-efficient to use. The majority of herbicides don’t have enough potential to be toxic to animals and humans like those in other pesticides. However, it must be utilized with caution and full awareness of possible problems it can cause is improperly applied.

Herbicides Classification

There are two categories of herbicides namely selective herbicides and non-selective herbicides. Selective herbicides are those that can be “directly” applied on particular crops without causing damage to them. Non-selective herbicides are those that eliminate every plant. In latest developments, this type of herbicide can already be used in similar ways as selective herbicides.

Safety Tips In Using Herbicides And Pesticides

If you plan to use any type of pesticide or herbicides, following the instructions of the manufacturers about the product is very important, including firs aid treatments on its labels for emergency cases.

When using or spraying chemicals, it is vital to wear “personal protective equipment” like gloves, coveralls, and goggles. It’s unsafe to wear shorts or garments that expose much of the skin when using these types of chemicals.

Be conscious of the wind’s direction when using sprays. Do not spray into the wind, and be careful when spraying on trees. Do not stand under the place you are spraying, and keep pets and children away. Avoid walking on areas that have just been sprayed. Finally, before handling food, playing with the kids, going to toilet, or smoking, make sure you’ve washed thoroughly with water and soap.

Herbicides and pesticides can be helpful chemicals in the garden. However, they can also be health hazards if not properly and cautiously used. Thus, responsibly using the chemicals is required.